Tavares High School student has bright red dyed hair

MINUTES AGO. TONIGHT SOUTHERN'S FAMILY IS ASKING FOR PRIVACY AND SAYS THEY ARE MAKING PLANS FOR A MEMORIAL. ALSO NEW TONIGHT, A LOCAL STUDENT IS FIGHTING BACK AGAINST HER SCHOOL AFTER SHE WAS TOLD HER HAIR COLOR DID NOT FOLLOW SCHOOL RULES. BUT HER PARENTS SAY, IT DOES. AND OUR OUTRAGED THEIR DAUGHTER WHO IS A GOOD STUDENT IS BEING SINGLED OUT. HER FELLOW STUDENTS ARE ALSO IN ON THE CONTROVERSY. EVEN TAKING TO FACEBOOK WITH A PAGE TITLED TEAM AVERY SHOWING THE TEEN WITH HER RED HAIR. SHAUN CHAIYABHAT IS LIVE, SHAUN, WHAT DID THE SCHOOL TELL HER? WELL, GAARD, LAST MONDAY SCHOOL LEADERS TOLD HER THAT HER HAIR VIOLATED SCHOOL RULES. THEY GAVE HER ONE WEEK TO CHANGE IT. SHE DIDN'T. SHE CAME BACK HERE AND SHE SAYS SHE WON'T BECAUSE SHE THINKS THAT IT'S HER FIRST AMENDMENT RIGHT. I DIDN'T WANT IT TO BE SUCH A BIG ISSUE. I JUST WANTED TO GO TO SCHOOL. MABRY ANDERSON KNOWS HER DYED RED HAIR CATCHES LOOKS BUT NEVER EXPECTED IT TO CAUSE TROUBLE AT THE SCHOOL. HIGH SCHOOL SOPHOMORE HAS HAD THIS COLOR RED FOR THREE YEARS. TWO YEARS AGO THE DISTRICT CHANGED POLICY TO SAY STUDENT HAIR COLOR HAD TO BE NATURAL. THIS YEAR, THIS WAS OUT OF LINE. IT'S NEVER BEEN A PROBLEM BEFORE. IT'S MY FIRST AMENDMENT RIGHT FOR FREEDOM OF EXPRESSION AND IT'S BEING TAKEN AWAY. ITS LOREAL, A NATURAL HAIR COLOR. SHE GETS HER HAIR COLOR FROM A BOX AND ARGUES IT IS A NATURAL COLOR FOR SOME. SHE WONDERS WHO DECIDES WHAT IS NATURAL AND WHAT IS NOT. HE IS A PRINCIPAL. HE DOESN'T WORK IN A SALON. HE DOESN'T KNOW HAIR COLOR. IT'S A LITTLE BIT DIFFERENT, YEAH. NO, I DON'T DENY THAT AT ALL. IT'S A TOUGH POSITION FOR HER MOM WHO ADMITS THE COLOR STANDS OUT. BUT AFTER HER DAUGHTER LEFT SCHOOL CRYING, MOM FEELS LIKE THE A STUDENT IS BEING TREATED UNFAIRLY. SHE'S A NEW PRINCIPAL. I FEEL SHE IS PLEXING HER AUTHORITATIVE MUSCLES. THEY HAVE TAKEN THE FIGHT TO FACEBOOKEN PLAN TO TAKE IT TO THE SCHOOL BOARD BUT FOR NOW, SHE WON'T CHANGE. NOW, SHE SAYS SHE WAS TOLD NOT TO COME BACK TO SCHOOL LOOKING LIKE SHE DOES AND SO SHE STOPPED COMING TO SCHOOL RATHER THAN RISK GETTING IN TROUBLE FOR BREAKING THE STUDENT CODE OF CONDUCT. NOW, SHE DOES PLAN TO COME BACK HERE TO SCHOOL TOMORROW ONLY THAT SHE DOES NOT FAIL BECAUSE OF TOO MANY ABSENCES. GAARD.

LAKE COUNTY, Fla. -

A Central Florida high school student says she risks failing and student discipline for refusing to change her bright red dyed hair.

Mabry Anderson knows her dyed red hair catches looks, but she never expected it to cause her trouble at school.

"I didn't want it to be such a big issue. I just wanted to go to school," said Anderson. "I felt harassed. It got to the point where I have anxiety going to school."

Last Monday, Tavares High School leaders told her that her hair violated school rules and gave her a week to change it.

Two years ago, the district changed policy to say student hair color had to be natural. This year, the color was deemed out of line, even though the high school junior has had the same color for three years.

"It's never been a problem before," Anderson said. "It's my First Amendment right for freedom of expression and it's being taken away."

She gets her color from a box and argues it is a natural color -- for some. The question she raises: What is natural and what is not?

"He's a principal. He doesn't wok in a salon. He doesn't know hair color," said Anderson about the school leader who decided the color was not fit for school.

It's a tough position for her mom, who admits the color stands out. But after her daughter left school crying, Cate Rettig, feels like her daughter is being treated unfairly.

"She's a new principal. I feel she's flexing her authoritative muscle," said Rettig.

They've taken the fight to Facebook and plan take it to the school board, but for now, Anderson won't change.

Anderson was told not to come back with that bright colored hair, and so she stopped coming to school rather than risk getting in trouble for breaking the Student Code of Conduct.

Anderson plans to go to school Friday, only so she doesn't fail her classes due to too many absences.

A Lake County School District spokesman said the policy stands, and the hope is that Anderson returns to school.

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